Anonymous 155-acre riverfront property donation

BITELY, Mich. — An anonymous donor gave their family assets to the Land Conservancy of West Michigan to develop a general public nature maintain in Newaygo County.

The home is 155 acres of all-natural land together the Minimal South Branch of the Pere Marquette River, which include 5,321 toes of riverfront.

The land have confidence in shut on the residence in mid-April.

The land conservancy designs to remodel the residence into an open up to the public character preserve identified as “Upriver Nature Preserve.”

In accomplishing so, it will make a parking great deal, trails and wayfinding signage.

This donation also features an 8-acre piece of land with a household and garage.

The land conservancy claims it will guard that with a conservation easement and market to endow the ongoing treatment and servicing of the new nature protect.

The Land Conservancy of West Michigan has helped defend more than 4,400 acres of land in the Pere Marquette River watershed by collaborating with non-public landowners to set up conservation easements on their qualities.

This maintain will be the 1st land conservancy residence that presents public entry to Michigan’s only undammed river, acknowledged for its water quality and trout-fishing possibilities.

The property also incorporates a unusual sand prairie and the land conservancy states, with its restoration initiatives, the land could deliver a considerably-wanted habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly and a number of native species of plants, bugs and birds that depend on these disappearing ecosystems.

“We are so grateful to the household for deciding upon to donate their property so that we all may well enjoy its resplendent magnificence.

“They have made a profound legacy with their assist for organic lands conservation.

“For the initial time, site visitors will be ready to stop by a land conservancy mother nature preserve on the spectacular Minor South Department and practical experience one of our region’s most attractive river programs,” explained Kim Karn, land conservancy executive director.

The land conservancy will host a trail-making workday at the new preserve on Saturday, July 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

To continue to be up to day on this project or to volunteer to enable, click right here.

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